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Questions & Answers about Ma daj, to nije istina!
Why does daj mean "come on" here when it normally means "give"?
Daj is the imperative (command) form of dati (to give). However, in everyday conversation, daj or ma daj is a very common idiom that means "come on," "no way," or "give me a break!"
What exactly is the word ma doing at the start of the sentence?
Ma is a conversational filler or particle used to add emotion. It doesn't mean anything on its own, but it acts like "oh," "well," or "heck" in English. Here, it adds a slightly dismissive or exasperated tone to the phrase.
The English translation says "true" (an adjective), so why does the Croatian use the noun istina (truth)?